Method of manufacturing improved bituminous product



der the asphalt more enduring,

Patented Oct. is, 1926.

UNITED STATES isoasoa PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL W. ALEXANDER, OF SPBII INGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IMPROVED IBITUMINOUSPBOD'I J'CTT No Drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in the method of manufacturing an improved bituminous product or other substance from the residuum which is the roduct of a distillation process such as 't e residuum obtained from the distillation of crude petroleum oils, or from coal tar products, or other organic substances obtained in like manner.

While I will describe my invention in connection with the manufacture of as halt which is a product of the distillation o certain crude petroleum oils, it is understood that the invention may be applied to the manufacture of any other simi ar substances which are produced in other distillation processes.

In the manufacture of asphalt it is known that the addition of extremely fine particles of earthy or mineral material tends to renless plastic and less liable to displacement when used for certain purposes such as pavements and so forth, and it is also known that if such particles are completely dis ersed throughout the resultant mass the above results are substantially increased.

Many attempts have been made to intro I duce such partlcles in as complete a state of dispersion as is found in some natural asphalts, such as Trinidad asphalt, but so far such attempts have not been a commercial success due to the imperfect results obtained and to the expense incurred in the particular method employed. According to my method, however, I obtain a hi h degree of dispersion of the finely divi ed material in the asphalt without any additional costin the usual method of manufacturing asphalt as my method does not interfere with the regular distillation process of crude petroleum oils, nor require any additional equipment to same.

As illustrated in the manufacture of asphalt refined from crude petroleum oils, my invention consists in the articular manner andmeans by which I isperse finel divided particles of vegetable or minera material throughout the asphalt thus obtained hcrc ya completedi persi n of the partiw Application filed May 4,

- mixes the oily slurry in which 1928. Serial No. 108,758.

.cles throughout the resultant as halt. is very easil and readily accom lishe durin the ole istillationo .the:

benzine, etc., that is a liquld which is miscier.

ble with the petroleum which .isbeing dis-; tilled and whlch liquid itself is capable of bein distilled dunn the regular process of distillation. In tfie use of kerosene, I have found that it will penetrate into a mass of fine particles of mineral matter, such as dry dust, just as far as the adhesion of the particles allows, thereby eifecting a minute separation of each particle in the oily slurry; while with such a liquid as water, under particles of vegetableor minlamp:

similar conditions, the water does not penetrate but remains as a globule not separatmg the articles from one another.

Thea ove oily slurry is prepared of the proper consistency of finely divided particles and kerosene to introduced into the still during the regular course of the distillation of the petroleum or preferably the slurrymay be introduced into the charging line 'of the still in the manner hereinafter described. The contents of the still are preferably being agitated all the time by steam or air through the usual a tator pipes at the bottom of the still in t e manner and as is common-in themanufacture of asphalt. The agitation thor'oughly the finely, (ii-.- vided p t s a e. .hi .hl dis reed; throughout the contents 10; t est mixture b plished due to the miscibilityjot the-kerosene particles obtain the. desired: results in the resultant asphalt, and is then I .i a ly. end-.. cad1ly.;accoms w d p eum. whereby-the n i a are yy dis ersed thro v the regular chargm a preheater,

course of distillation is continued until the asphalt reaches the desired consistency for the use to which it is intended; the kerosene in the oil slurry, in the meantime, bein distilled 0d and recovered and used repeate ly. In the use of kerosene or other 1i uidsmiscible with petroleum,-as the vehic e in which the finely divided particles are first dispersed, it Wlll be observedthat the asphalt very easily and readily replaces the erosene when the latter is distilled off during the regular distillation process, leaving the finely divided particles m a very complftf state of dispersion throughout the asp a t. i

In case the oily slurry is introduced into .line of the still, that is, into the crude lpetroleum before the latter enters the sti the mixed slurry and petroleum is referably first passed through eat exchanger or dehydrator connected with the condenser of the still and then the whole mass is introduced into the still, whereby the whole mass may receive the usual agitation as soon as it enters the still. Otherwise, in the case of steam agitation it is undesirable to commence such agitation until the contents of the still have reached such a temperature that the water in the petroleum has been driven oil so that the steam will not condense on entering the still. Thus, by introducing the slurry into the charging hne, the petroleum and slurry are mixed to a certain de ree while passin through the preheater an charging line an are immediately agitated as soon as they enter the still, thereby efiectin a quicker and more efiicient dispersion o the finely divided particles in the still.

While I have used kerosene in the illustration of my invention as the vehicle in which to disperse the finely divided particles, it is readily apparent that a heavier vehicle, such as a gas oil or a li ht lubricating oil, may be used; and when t e finely divi ed particles consist of a heavier material than those already mentioned, such as limestone or Portland cement, it is preferable to use such a heavier vehicle as the latter tends to prevent the particles of heavier material from settling out from the petroleum in the still which would be the case if the particles of heavier material were dispersed in a light vehicle such as kerosen'e.

Asphalt made according to my invention is suitable for all the various uses for which asphalt is generally employed and the use of my improved asphalt in street and highway construction is extremel advantageous. a pav mixture of ordinary asphalt and the usual mineral aggregate, the dispersion of the e finel divided partic sof the latter in thesepha t cannot be 7 efiected mechanically as completely or to such .3 111 8 y my method.

In ously'agitatin'g the aeoasoa In the formation of a paving mixture, a

mineral aggregate is mixed with the asphalt; but when the ordinary petroleum asphalt is employed, a much larger quantity of finely divided particles or dust must be added to the mixture than when the asphalt prepared according to the present nvention is used, since the latter will contain in a most thoroughly dispersed condition all, or near- 1 all, the necessa quantity of the dust or ely divided particles required for the aving mixture. Furthermore, it has found quite im ossible to obtam as th oroh a dispersion o? the dust when mixing te same with a mineral aggregate, and a previously formed petroleum aslphalt as has been obtained by my method w erein the dust is mixed therewith during the refining of the asphalt. The stability of a pavement is greatly increased by the use of asphalt preeen pared accordingito the present invention on account'of the gh frictional resistance due to the complete dispersion of the finely d1- vided particles.

What I claim is:

1. The method of obtaining an improved bituminous product or other similar sub stance from a distillation rocess or the residuum therefrom, whic consists in charging the still pre aring a slur otfin ely divided partic es 0 material an a liquid which is mlscible with the charge to be distilled, introducing said slurry into the still for mixture with the charge thereof, and distilling said mixture.

2. The method of obtaining an improved bituminous product or other similar substance from a distillation process or the residuum therefrom, which consists in char ing the still, preparing a slurry of fine y divided particles of material and a liquid which is miscible with the charge to be distilled, introducing said slurry into the still for mixture with the charge thereof, and distilling said mixture while simultaneously agitating the same.

3. The method of obtaining an improved bituminous product or other similar sub stance from a distillation process or the residuum therefrom, which consists in preparin a slurry of finely divided particles of material and a liquid which is mlscible with the charge to be distilled, efiecting a mixture of said slurry and charge by introducing the same simultaneously through a common charging line and reheating said mixture rior to its intro uction into the still, and stilling said mixture while simultanesame.

4. The method of obtaining an improved asphalt product from the distillation of prtroleum which consists in charging the stlll, preparing a slurry of finel ticles of mineral matter an a liquid such as kerosene, introducing said lurry into said liltl lllti divided parwill memos r as still formixture with the clmrgethei'eof, kerosene, introducing soidl slurry into said; zm& listilling ssiol mixture. still for the mixture with the charge there- 5. The method of obtsg an improvedl of and distig said mixture While simulw asphalt product from the distilletion of peteneously agitating the same,- 6 troleum which consists in chsi'gin the still, In testimony whereof I have afixecl my preparing a slurry of finely olivi edl partisignature. cles of mineral matter and o liquid such as DANIEL B. W, ALEXANDER. 

